Virgin Media O2 has announced it will not be reintroducing roaming fees in Europe, making it the only big four mobile network in the UK not to bring back these charges. Customers on both O2 and Virgin Mobile will maintain their inclusive roaming in Europe Zones, so they can travel to destinations all over Europe and use their data, calls and texts just as they would in the UK. Virgin Media O2 EU roaming

This comes as the Government has announced changes to travel testing rules, with airlines and travel operators reporting a sudden bookings boom from Brits eager to get away. The travel trade association, ABTA, also revealed last week that Spain is top of people’s wish list destinations to jet off to this year.

A recent survey carried out by Virgin Media O2 backed up this sentiment, showing that Brits have strong travel intentions in 2022. By this summer the majority (75%) of people surveyed expect to travel abroad – and a majority expect to do so more this year than they did in 2021.

Analysis of daily charge rates from other providers suggests that a family of four going abroad for two weeks could see £100 or more added to their holiday bill when using their phones each day.

Confirming the move in a statement, Virgin Media O2 Chief Commercial Officer, Gareth Turpin, said: “With COVID still scuppering plans and disrupting day-to-day routines for so many, we’re starting the year by giving our customers some certainty.”

The post also referenced a recent survey carried out by Virgin Media O2 that showed that despite the current environment, people have strong travel intentions this year. The study found that while the desire to travel is understandably lower in the early part of the year, by this summer the majority (75%) of Brits surveyed expect to travel abroad – and a majority expect to do so more this year than they did in 2021. The post then notes that a family of four using their phones every day on a two-week holiday could face around £100 or more of roaming charges if their operator levies them. Virgin Media O2 EU roaming

Turpin also stressed that the move is not a temporary measure. “We have no plans to introduce roaming fees and it’s our intention to keep it that way,” he wrote. “We do regularly review the things that our customers value and listen to their feedback, so if market sentiment changes and we need to reassess what we do in the future then we will do so, and of course we will always be open and transparent with our customers regarding any changes. However, we are confident that our customers will love inclusive roaming with O2 and Virgin Mobile.”